EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). Having transformed St. Nicholas in Ground Zero into a “pan-religion temple,” Elpidophoros, assisted by Catholics, Protestants, and other dedicated Ecumenists, took another step in the process of creating the “one religion.” If you wish to wash away the heretical message of the post and the photos below, please visit today’s post about Mesogaias Nikolaos and his speech from a few years ago in Greece. Please do not expect any further commentary from me. It’s obvious where this whole process aims… But their defeat in Ukraine (have no doubt, Orthodoxy was one of the main goals of the Ecumenists in Ukraine, as it is proven daily…) proves that God is watching and he will intervene to punish them…
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Archbishop of America and Christian leaders carry the Cross together across Brooklyn Bridge
On April 18, 2025, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America participated in an ecumenical “Way of the Cross over the Brooklyn Bridge” alongside Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, and Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn.
Beginning at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint James, the first Catholic Church on Long Island, the clergy and faithful gathered for a prayer service before processing across the Brooklyn Bridge and to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine for another prayer service.
The basilica’s choir sang several hymns, including “We Also Ought,” “Zawitaj Pani Swiata,” and “I See His Blood Upon the Rose,” and speakers offered readings from the Gospels, Pope Francis’s writings, and other texts.
Welcomed to the basilica by Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Brennan, in his reflection at the former service, Archbishop Elpidophoros reflected on 2025’s 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, which established a single date of Easter for all Christians.
His Eminence remarked:
“As I consider the possibility of fulfilling the promise of Nicaea, and sharing once again a common date for Pascha among all Christians, it occurs to me that our choice of walking together with the Cross of the Lord is the best preparation to do so. For real ecumenical work is to be discovered through the same sacrificial love that our Lord manifested on the Cross.
We all have to give up something of ourselves – whether it is pride of place, or our own sense of righteousness – but something must be sacrificed for the sake of the other. That is why our procession together across the Brooklyn Bridge is such a poignant symbol for our ecumenical striving. In a very concrete way, East and West must move toward each other, and find the bridge that will bring them to common ground.”
After the first portion of the event was complete, Bishop Brennan led the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic parishioners across the Brooklyn Bridge and to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, where the procession was welcomed by Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos and Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas.
Master Chanter Dimitrios Katsiklis chanted the Lamentations before the Holy Sepulcher, and the choir performed several additional hymns. The event closed with remarks and a dismissal from Bishop Brennan.
Photos: Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos and Courtesy of Jillian Nelson
Nick
Communing with other Christian denominations in itself is not “treason”. I agree with you on the St Nicholas shrine’s looking nothing like an Orthodox church. But, since Pascha falls on the same day, let’s celebrate it together. If the calendar for Pascha is adjusted to coincide with the Western churches, it would be another step towards ecumenism. Ecumenism is not a dirty word, as you consider it. Our Creed says that we strive for “one, catholic and Apostolic church”. Isn’t that ecumenism?
Having said that, the Orthodox can not change any dates unless the synod approves. Elpidoforos can’t do much about it himself. So, I wouldn’t worry about it
Who said it was a treason? It’s called heresy… and Bob, you cannot talk from both sides of your mouth… You will choke eventually…
Bob,
“one, catholic and Apostolic church” is the ORTHODOX CHURCH. So instead of persecuting the orthodox Christians in Ukraine, the patriarch and his minions should work towards unity WITHIN THE OC. Do not be confused! Right now we are not “one, catholic and Apostolic church” because we have schisms in the OC and not because we are not uniting with those that broke away from the “one, catholic and Apostolic church’ and decided to follow themselves and foreign teachings, instead. Ecumenism is a heresy. Read the Holy Fathers. They all agree on this.
When the creed was written, there were no Catholics or Protestants. And certainly no Ukraine church. So, the “one Catholic and Apostolic church means what it says: One church. Ecumenism is no heresy. When St Paul said “there is no man or woman, Jew or Greek, that means ecumenism. When Christ told his Apostles to spread the Gospel, it wasn’t only to the Jews. Because the only Christians then were Jews. He meant everyone. That’s ecumenism
Whatever deviates from the findings of the early Ecumenical Synods is defined as heresy. Period.
That’s exactly my point. But we must be careful, not to designate everything we disagree with as heresy. I also agree that Elpidoforos is anaxios to lead our church.
But heresy is a bit over the top. If he had married two man for instance, it would have been heresy. But baptizing those two children is not heresy. Advocating for a common Pascha date is not heresy, until we find out how it would be structured. Same as when Christmas day was alligned with the Western calendar, which other Orthodox are not following. Are we heretical?
Recognition of the Ukraine orthodox church is not heresy. There are plenty of precedents for ethnic churches. Ecumenism is not heresy. The patriarchate itself is Ecumenical.,
We have to be careful using the words heresy and treason. It just excites unenlightened people’s minds and makes the user of those words as the “boy who cried wolf”. No one will take you seriously when there is actual treason or heresy.
Is legitimizing gay marriage through baptism as he did – deceiving the local metropolitan- a heresy? Bob – you got to think things through and be both sincere and exact in your expressions if you want to see your comments posted here.
Bob,
While I sympathize that it is possible in our hectic lives to develop short-term memory issues, it is an abunduntly clear fact that Elpidophoros spoke heresy long before he became the Archbishop. The prime example you can cite is his published article where he declared the Patriarch of Constantinople as “primus sine paribus”. That is heretical, not “schismatic” according to the definitions provided to us in St. Basil’s letters.
If you are not satisfied with that, his declaration during the leadership 100 meeting a few years back that he believed in offering Holy Communion to non-Orthodox spouses wasn’t a big deal also qualifies as heretical speech, as does his famous sermon in Astoria during the Sunday of the Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council, when he famously chastised the flock as “not knowing Greek well enough”, and arrogantly proceeded to “teach” them his own definition of the term “heretic”, which was quite inconsistent with the definition that St. Basil provided. And what about that famous comment about “there are many paths to the top of the mountain”…isn’t that heretical rhetoric, when spoken by an orthodox bishop? And what about the faithlessness exhibited by the innovation of “multiple spoons”…was that worthy of a bishop?
Finally, the multiple violation of Canons on a consistent basis, including sending proxies to “inaugurations” of Hindu temples in New Jersey, the Glyfada baptism fiasco, multiple common prayer instances with heretics, handing over the censer to a Catholic Cardinal during last years Anastasi service, many other “subtle administrative changes” that you aren’t really aware of such as increasingly making bishops of the synod “subservient” to him in a non-Canonical manner even though he is technically a only a metropolitan of NY (which is why he is called Σεβασμιωτατος and not Μακαριωτατος), etc, etc, etc, all certainly qualify as behavior worthy of deposing a bishop, according to the Canons. It’s just that the Synod has nobody with a spine these days, because at its core are people who promise loyalty to the “primus sine paribus” neo-Constantinopolitan (Eastern Papist) dogma vs. loyalty to the Traditions of the Orthodox Church….
There were plenty of other heresies prior to first Ecumenical Council, to cover a wide spectrum of issues, sufficient enough to keep Elpidophoros in check.
While Protestants and Catholics are not specifically mentioned in those Canons, the word “heretic” is, and St. Basil’s definition of “heresy” is quite explanatory, as is St. Mark of Ephesos’ insistence that the Latins are heretics and not schismatics.
So please Bob, don’t play childish nursery school games here to waste everyone’s time. The evidence trail is quite solid. If you (and a couple other commentators in this blog) can’t remember these details on a consistent basis, please print out the above and stick it on your refrigerator door to remind yourself every day going forward of why Helleniscope is calling Elpidophoros a heretic, but stop wasting our time here.
Bob:
There are a lot of books written about ecumenism being a heresy, maybe you can educate yourself by reading some of them. Not sure why you think it is not a heresy where there are recent saints calling it “the heresy of heresies” and the biggest heresy of our time. There is only ONE CHURCH, the one that Christ created. UOC is part of it–not because I say so but because it is recognized as legitimate by the other local OCs. The Catholics departed from the ONE CHURCH by creating their own heresies, changing the creed, recognizing papal infallibility, changing the mass, the communion, and the list goes on and on. You can’t possibly be serious thinking that the protestants are part of the ONE CHURCH when they weren’t even around at the time Christ created the ONE CHURCH, so it is pointless to even consider them part of the ONE CHURCH, when they don’t even take communion like us, do liturgy like us, etc.
Amen.
You are contradicting yourself, Bob. ONE, Holy and Apostolic Church is THE CHURCH, the only one, without any additions, any ecumenist views. So you ecumenism is a big no no. THere is only ONE Church we believe in and we have to stay in. The others are free to join us or go their own way but we should not mix up with them and put up a show, to confuse people we are the same, because we are not. Ecumenism is an invention of the masons and it is a big no no. Many saints say this. By mixing up with those that don’t have the same creed, we are opening ourselves to other innovations and delusions.
Προχθές στην Ελληνική ΕΕθνική
τηλεόραση παρακολούθησα την
διαδρομή του Ελληνισμού στην Αμερική. από τον αρχιεπίσκοπο
Αλέξανδρο μέχρι και τον Ελπιδοφόρο.
Ήταν ένα ιστορικό ντοκουμέντο πολύ
εμπεριστατομένο , με εικόνες , υπερηφάνειας , ηρωισμού, διχασμού ,
αλλά και αθλιότητας .
Πολλά τα σκαμπανεβάσματα που όμως
το έργο τελικά είναι αντάξιο του DNA
της φυλής μας. Ηγετικές μορφές ( παρά τα λάθη τους) όπως εκείνη του
Αθηναγόρα και του κατ’εξοχήν χαρισματικού ηγέτη και Εθνάρχη
Ιακώβου , έπαιξαν μεγάλο ρόλο και
η ομογένειά μας να κατέχει σήμερα
προτεύοντα και σημαντικό χώρο σε
όλη την Αμερικανική Ήπειρο.
Σήμερα αν ακόμα τυγχάνομε κάποιας
ειδικής μεταχείρισης το χρωστάμε στην
λάμψη του τελευταίου Βορείου και
Νοτίου Αμερικής Ιακώβου.
Δυστυχώς μετά από εκείνον έχουμε
πέσει σε κυκλώνα και χανόμαστε γιατί
αυτοί που τον διαδέχθηκαν είναι εντελώς ανίκανοι , διότι οι ίδιοι δεν
γνωρίζουν να κολυμπάνε και αν
υποθέσουμε ότι κολυμπάνε δεν έχουν
πυξίδα.
Σ’αυτήν την διαδρομή τελευταίος μίλησε ο σημερινός “ Ελπιδοφόρος” και
προσπάθησε να δικαιολογήσει τα
αδικαιολόγητα τόσο για το “ black
life matters” και τα μέτρα που προσπάθησε να επιβάλλει για τον κορωνοιό . Γελοίες αμφότερες οι δικαιολογίες , δια μεν την πρώτη
σκέφθηκε λέγει αυτό που έκανε ο Ιάκωβος με τον Μάρτιν Λούθερ Κίνγκ
( γελάστε….) για τον κορωνοιό
επροβαλε ως πιστήριο την επιστήμη,
ότι ο Θεός ενέπνευσε τους επιστήμονας
δια των μέτρων και των εμβολίων για
να σωθούμε . Ποια επιστήμη αφού ο
καταστρεπτικός δολοφόνος ΙΟΣ
κατασκευάστηκε κατά παραγγελίαν;.
Αμφισβήτησε ακόμη και την αξία της
θείας μετάλειψης και έτσι όπως φερόντανε έμοιαζε να είναι συνεταίρος στην εταιρεία που κατασκέυαζε τα πλαστικά κουταλάκια.
Και δεν φτάνουν ολ’αυτά τώρα έχουμε
και παρελάσεις μετά άλλων θρησκευτικών ηγετών στην γέφυρα του ποταμού Hudson , με κολαούζους
φωτορεπόρτερ για φυγούρα στα διεθνούς φήμης περιοδικά.
Ξέρετε κάτι βρε παιδιά , δεν νομίζετε
αρκετά ασχοληθήκαμε με κάποιον που
δεν αξίζει να σπαταλούμε την φαιάν
μας ουσίαν και το χρόνο μας;.
Ο Πατέρας μου έλεγε : “ άνθρωπο αιρετικόν μετά πρώτην και δευτέραν
νουθεσία παραιτού: και αυτό θα κάνω.
If I remember correctly, it was Archbishop Demetrios that initially approved the plans for the St. Nicholas Shrine to have an ecumenical aspect.
Most schisms within Christianity have nothing to do with Christian dogma, that is heresy. Typically they are primarily political in nature, and then perhaps later become theological disagreements. Even the Chalcedonian schism, for example, was politically motivated. The Christians in the Middle East and North Africa resented the political power of the new Christian Empire of Constantinople and reacted against it. Most theologians now agree that the Monophysite heresy of those who rejected the Council of Chalcedon is largely a matter of semantics, saying much the same thing as the Chalcedonians but using a different formula. Nonetheless, Monophysitism is a heresy and ultimately a refusal to join the Orthodox Church.
The schism of Roman Catholics was also largely political in nature due to the rise of Charlemagne’s “Holy Roman Empire” in the West, only later becoming a theological heresy about their insistence on the “filoque”. While the Protestant reformation was initially theological, per reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin, it was largely embraced by governments for political reasons, with them essentially demanding autocephaly from Rome.
Most Christians don’t realize that the primary reason for the schisms within Christianity today are mostly political. It is therefore incumbent on Orthodox Christians, who represent Christ’s Church, to work to overcome those political divisions.
Joseph: Political or not, heresies are the work of the devil and we should keep our faith pure, as the crucified God meant it to be, so that He did not die for nothing. Barto should try to heal the schisms he created before causing the OC more schisms and divisions. He is an orthodox patriarch and he should be concerned with matters concerning the OC first. He should not mix up with those that fell into heresies unless they repent.
You seem to be confused about the ecumenical and ecumenist movements. They are not the same, even though those that do not follow Christ are trying to confuse us about and make us believe otherwise. The holy fathers wrote about this and warned us that the delusions will come from those that are “learned”, those that are supposed to protect us.
Sandy, the way of faith in Christ is a narrow path. Oftentimes those who have broken communion, or gone into schism, while insisting they have done so for reasons of maintaining the purity of the Church, have actually become heretical themselves. The heresy of Donatism is such an example. While originally that heresy had to do with questioning the moral purity of certain clergy of a certain time, then over a short generational time-frame it evolved later into a schismatic heresy about maintaining the purity of the Church.
Of course there are valid reasons for breaking communion, such as with heresies. The Orthodox Church is not in communion with those who espouse anathematized heresies. However, I believe you have failed to show what specific “heresy” that Patriarch Bartholomew has committed, if any. The only autocephalous church that has broken communion with Patriarch Bartholomew is the Russian Church, and it is only for reasons of territorial dispute that the Russian Church has broken communion with him.
Joseph – please allow me to list them for you:
1. Ecumenism: Without a Panorthodox Synod he should not start praying with any other Christian denominations or recognizing them in any sacramental way because it violates the canons and the exclusive claim of Orthodoxy as the true Church.
This is called “Branch theory heresy,” “syncretism,” or “pan-heresy of ecumenism.”
2. Recognition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU) In 2018–2019, Patriarch Bartholomew granted autocephaly (independence) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which had previously been considered schismatic by the Moscow Patriarchate. This is what was called
“Neo-papism” or “Eastern papism”—implying that Bartholomew is acting like the Pope of Rome.
3. Liturgical Innovations and Calendar Change: Bartholomew’s support for the Revised Julian Calendar (which aligns fixed feasts like Easter with the Gregorian calendar) is seen as part of a modernist agenda. If Orthodoxy has to “Sell” something this has to be her preservation of tradition – NOT MODERNISM.
4. Environmentalism and Social Issues: Bartholomew has taken strong stances on environmental protection, earning him the title “Green Patriarch.” he is too politically involved. If he is anything “Green” ths must be his accepting bribery with “green bucks” especially for Ukrainian Autocephaly.
Please allow me to stop her – so not to repeat my writings for the past 6-7 years. HE IS A HERETIC.
Helleniscope, there is no Orthodox consensus about ecumenism per se. All of the autocephalous Orthodox churches are involved with ecumenism to some degree. It is only schismatic groups, like the Greek Old Calendarists and the “true” and “genuine” Orthodox, that justify their own schism by proclaiming everyone else as “heretical” ecumenists.
While the OCU is not recognized and received by the majority of autocephalous Orthodox churches, it is only the Russian Church that has broken communion with Patriarch Bartholomew over this, so it doesn’t match up as a heresy. At best, it is a territorial dispute made volatile because of the war that began in 2014, not because of the creation of the OCU in 2019. Most churches are waiting for the war in Ukraine to be over to see how things end up. It is not actually neo-Nazism that is being purged in Ukraine by this war, but rather it is Godless Sovietism that is being purged, both in Russia and in Ukraine.
In regards to the calendar, Patriarch Bartholomew has parishes under both the new and old calendars. The calendar schisms have happened outside of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s jurisdiction, in the Church of Greece, the Church of Bulgaria, the Church of Romania, and the Church of Cyprus. The Ecumenical Patriarchate can’t be blamed for those schisms outside of the EP’s jurisdiction.
Finally, since when is taking a stand on environmental protection a heresy? Perhaps it doesn’t sit well with some, but that is a different matter.
Don’t try hiding behind your finger. All this bubbling talk and not one word about the root problem, which is Bartholomew’s Papism, his uncontrollable urge to be “First Without Equals” for which there is plenty of proof. Without answering whether this is a heresy or not (or maybe something worse than a heresy, a denial of Orthodoxy) there will be no more discussion Joseph.
But if you want to be convinced about how heretic Bartholonew is consider his reaction to the Emmanuel and Maximos Bulgarian gay escorts in the Paris Metropolis. I was the one who revealed the scandal and when the Phanariots initially tried to discredit me and my sources I asked Bartholomew REPEATEDLY over the last six years to contact the French Police and request the police report. Bartholomew is the supervising authority and had every right to do it. My revelations were based on testimony given to the Police by Maximos. HE NEVER DID. Additionally, instead of reprimanding the two or punishing them by sending them to a monastic life for a while, he promoted them and so Emmanuel became Metropolitan of Chalcedon the second in command in the Phanar. And Maximos became a Bishop. If approval of homosexuality is not among the heaviest violations of our Faith, then what’s the use of talking about heresies per se? Here we are dealing with abandonment of Faith – not simply a heresy…
Joseph:
Barto has failed to convince me he is an orthodox patriarch because an orthodox patriarch does not act as if he is the only bishop and the rest of the bishops and local churches don’t matter. He is right now acting with so much hate towards the OC that UOC believers end up hospitalized and with concussions because he wants to steal their churches. Honestly, I do not know how he can live with himself and how you can take his side, unless you are paid to do so.
The powers of this world clearly want to steal the natural resources of Russia and Ukraine, while Barto wants to steal the churches. Barto is very uninspiring, he can’t build his own churches, so he decided to steal the ones the Russian built and kept for hundreds of years. Barto does not sound like an orthodox patriarch at all! I would not be orthodox if he was the only patriarch in the world because I do not believe in him and his war on orthodoxy.
“While the OCU is not recognized and received by the majority of autocephalous Orthodox churches, it is only the Russian Church that has broken communion with Patriarch Bartholomew over this, so it doesn’t match up as a heresy.”
Would that satisfy you, Joseph? If the other patriarchs would break communion with Barto and just further create schisms and divisions? That is not an orthodox spirit. The other patriarchs show restraint in dividing the Church of Christ, because they were untrusted with protecting it and NOT dividing it–but this does not equate with them agreeing with the actions of Barto. Almost all of them spoke against his actions! But he refuses to hear them. He is deaf and blind.
Dividing the Church further is not the solution. It will only satisfy the devil. I hope whoever replaces Barto would have the wisdom that he is clearly lacking by being uncapable of bringing unity to the OC and being concerned about planting trees, instead.
Sandy, I completely agree with you that dividing the church, that is breaking communion, is not the answer needed.
It would be a heresy, specifically the heresy of Donatism, to break communion with a bishop because of his own immorality. Even if a bishop is a complete hypocrite and doesn’t practice what he preaches, as long as that bishop AT LEAST CORRECTLY PREACHES the Orthodox dogma that has been handed down to him from apostolic succession, then there is no reason to break communion with him. And if a bishop expresses other crazy personal opinions on things, that is still not a reason to break communion with him. To break communion with a bishop for reasons other than what that bishop preaches on dogmatic matters could be a very serious sin.
Through this website, I have heard that there was some scandal in Paris involving the Ecumenical Patriarchate years ago. There’s always at least two sides to any story though, and I don’t really know any. What I do know is that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has at least made statements that preach against homosexuality and “gay marriage”. That’s good enough for me.
Joseph – do NOT doubt the information we provide… I can tell you this: The Phanar even knows who my informant is and they know that this informant is very trustworthy. Also, as I said, I called on Bartholomew himself numerous times since 2019 to fulfill his supervisory duties, pick up the phone or write a letter to the French Police and demand the Police report, the report proving what exactly happened. What happened is simply exposed in this short statement: The then Metropolitan of France (now of Chalcedon) Emmanuel (Adamakis) had hired as his assistant (flaming gay) Maximos who spoke not one word of French. Maximos invited Bulgarian gay escorts from Quartier Latin to the Metropolis building several times. After the second time, lazy as he was to ring the bell and open the front door for them, he gave them the “code” to open the door themselves (first stupidity/arrogance/narcissism). When they realized the amount of gold hidden at the Metropolis, the Bulgarian gay escorts came in the building by themselves unnoticed one evening and stole over $400,000 worth of jewelry (mostly expensive watches and gold chains). Acting like a fool, Maximos called the Police (fatal stupidity). Because he spoke not one word of French, the Police used someone who worked at the Metropolis as an interpreter. And this is how we know exactly – to the last iota – what transpired. Bartholomew the heretic, instead of choosing a form of punishment (even a lenient one) he promoted both Emmanuel and Maximos… This is who he truly is… Not even the slightest apology for the sin and the crimes they had committed. And for the desecration of the Metropolis building.
Yes 15-20 years ago there were statements and videos of Bartholomew in public events condemning homosexuality. Not anymore… PLEASE PROVIDE EVEN ONE IF YOU CAN. They have all disappeared. But 15-20 years ago he had recognized IN WRITING, Moscow’s jurisdiction over Ukraine… Not anymore… HE WAS BRIBED TO MAKE UKRAINIAN OCU AUTOCEPHALOUS…
God will punish him. God already damaged or destroyed his heretic plans for common celebration at Nicea, this May… Have no doubt, Pope Francis’ death was not a coincidence at this juncture…
NOBODY SHOULD DOUBT THE INFORMATION HELLENISCOPE PROVIDES. We do it to the best of our ability in full conscience of our journalistic duty and our Faith.
GOA for the past five years attempted to prosecute me. I spend much of my time not writing for this website BUT ANSWERING LAWSUITS. So far, they have FAILED, and the Courts have recognized and pronounced the quality of information provided by us. GOD WILLING, we will overcome the prosecution to the very end.
“Patriarch Bartholomew condemns Gay Life”, article from September, 2013:
https://orthochristian.com/64095.html
“Holy Synod of Constantinople against gay marriage”, from January, 2024:
https://orthochristian.com/158350.html
One can find the first one in several websites -in the same way that you can find Bartolomew’s letter recognizing Moscow’s jurisdiction over Ukraine.
As for the second one, we commented then and we emphasize now: The Phanar’s was the DEAD LAST Synod to condemn gay marriage. They did it under heavy political pressure from Greece where they have “spiritual guidance over many Metropolises. If they meant these words at all they would reprimand Elpidophoros as Mount Athos has done. They did not.
CONCLUSION: Nobody takes them seriously – there is a reason they are viewed as DOUBLE-FACED PHANARIOTS.
Patriarch Bartholomew had no authority to intervene in matters concerning the Russian Orthodox Church. He has long been concerned with the larger numbers of Russian Orthodox Christians compared to Greek Orthodox members, and thus his only motivation for intervening was to destabilize the Russian Orthodox Church.
Joseph,
After all this time, after all the links that have been provided with Bartholomew’s clear violation of Canons over the years (including common prayer with the Pope during services), the role of Meletios Metaxakis across multiple jurisdictions in promoting the Calendar Schism, Bartholomew’s own breaking of Communion with Christodoulos of Athens over “schoolgirl like” jurisdictional bickering (not heresy), etc, you still make statements like that? Back in the village in Greece the “simple-minded folks” would have been concerned about you, and perhaps would start urging you to book an appointment with a memory specialist about now….however, most intellectuals realize that you know EXACTLY what you are doing with your propaganda attempts. It won’t work. It’s a shame you weren’t living in the days when we had solid bishops with a real spine in the Synods…you and your “idol” Bartholomew would have officially been declared heretics by the official Church in a heartbeat. You are a classic example of the letter to Titus 3:10-3:11…propagandist words are “self-condemning”.
The idea that Christ’s sacrifice might be “for nothing” if we don’t keep the faith pure is well-intentioned, but theologically very off from the eternal truth of the Gospel. Christ’s death and resurrection are already victorious and are not dependent on our response to be meaningful. While we’re certainly called to guard the faith, we’re responding to His work, not merely trying to preserve its value.
Also, saying heresies are purely the work of the devil oversimplifies things. Yes, heresy is dangerous, but most people caught in error are sincerely mistaken, not evil. The Church has always distinguished between false teaching and the people who fall into it, often with deep pastoral care and patience (see Saint Basil’s 188th letter).
Preserving the faith isn’t about fear or being defensive—it’s about bearing witness to the truth in love. The Orthodox faith thrives when lived boldly, not anxiously. Finally, ignoring heresy’s political or historical dimensions can lead to an overly simplistic, harsh approach. Many heresies arose in complex settings, and understanding that helps us avoid arrogance and cultivates discernment in our faith. If we can do this, we can truly hold fast to the truth, which means imitating Christ and the saints: not by just defending doctrine, but with humility, clarity, and love.
Christ’s death and resurrection are already victorious, yes, but on an individual level, we are victorious with Him if we actually keep the faith and follow Him, not if we go off rails. Going off out of “love” won’t save us because we mix up his teachings with heresies and there can’t be truth if some truth is mixed with lies. Of course heresies are purely the work of the devil–the Holy Fathers say this, not me. They are innovations of the devil to lose the souls of men, you can’t possibly think that heresies are the work of God. I did not say that people are evil if they fall in heresies, so don’t twist things. We had some saints that at some point had wrong believes but God enlightened them later in life because they truly were humble at heart.
What “truth in love” are you talking about? There is no truth in heresies, no love, they are the lies of the devil, and he does not invent them out of love but to lead us to perdition–it’s been his mission since Adam and Eve. I am not going to address the rest of your statements because they are a bunch of nonsense. How can you follow Christ with “humility, clarity, and love” and in “truth” if you take heresies so lightly and try to justify them somehow? Christ was steadfast in his teachings, he didn’t bend them. He did not compromise, even on the cross. Neither do we have the right to do so if we want to be His followers. There is no reason to compromise. None!
Not sure where Barto was during all this. Elpi is an embarrassment for doing this and parading on the bridge with people that don’t have the same creed and therefore, worship a different god. Did Barto meet anyone at Nicaea? Since the pope died today and he has been sick for a while, I guess he was not well enough to meet Barto for Easter. I didn’t follow to see what they were doing since I was in full Easter celebration. It doesn’t matter. They accomplished nothing. Just like with the Council, lots of preparation and many disagreements on the changes proposed. God works and protects His church. Glory to God for all things!